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Lucky_Foot
Mar '23
2

Looking for some magic inspiration? Let's talk about the different types of magic systems out there.

First up is the soft magic system. This is where the rules of magic aren't clearly defined, leaving room for mystery and surprise. A great example of this can be found in the book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R. R. Martin - the magic is present, but it's not always clear how it works or what its limitations are.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have the hard magic system. This is where magic is given specific rules and limitations, making it more of a science than a mystery. Examples of this type of magic can be found in the movie "Doctor Strange," where the magic is almost like a superpower with defined strengths and weaknesses.

Finally, there are middle ground magic systems that fall somewhere between soft and hard. These systems have some rules and structure, but they also allow for some mystery and discovery. An example of this type of system can be found in the book series "The Kingkiller Chronicle" by Patrick Rothfuss.

So, which type of magic system do you prefer? Are you drawn to the wonder of soft magic, the rules and structure of hard magic, or something in between? Let's discuss and share our favorite examples!

  • Soft System
  • Hard System

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    Mar '23

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    Apr '23
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Lucky_Foot
Mar '23

My favorite is the Soft System because, if i ever need to, I can add more details to it as I'm writing a story.

Yes, i'll go back and rewtire entire chapters as needed. :sweat_smile:

Writer Hack #35: Its easier to add vs remove stuff as you write.

darthmongoose
Mar '23

I like hard magic systems. I don't dislike soft ones, and I think they can be used for fun stuff in things like Discworld or Howl's Moving Castle... but I think it's more impressive when a character uses magic to do something creative and cool when the rules of magic are very hard and they need to work within strict limitations.
When somebody does something cool in a soft magic system, it's often by mastering their emotions or claiming some sort of destiny, while mastery of a hard system is more often about knowledge and skill.

KelheorRegular
Mar '23

I'll be honest, I don't really care xD I love magic in all its variations. The last one I enjoyed was Sanderson's Mistborn series 3 hard magic systems based on using metals and it's absolutely gloriously done. And they still allow for some mystery and discovery, but I would not call it middle ground, because it's just the characters that don't know everything about the magic, while the systems are actually hard.

InfiniteLine
Mar '23

Strongly agree here! The best way to do a hard magic system is to have the characters learning more about it as they go so it leaves some awe and discovery for the reader.

In my opinion, the possibilities (in soft or hard magic) can lead to epic moments and awesomeness, while the constraints (in hard magic) lead to interesting scenarios and conflicts.

TAMAnnoyingThe Cow
Mar '23

Soft magic systms are fine but I have a hard time taking them as seriously as hard magic systems.

an example would prob be LotR for me with the wizard being "all powerful" but the only spells you ever see him cast are the light spell and animal messanger. both level 1 spells in D&D XD, im also not saying everything has to be hard magic for me to take it seriously but the problem i often have with the soft magic systems is that its often used as an excuse of why "well it worked this time because" which is always a pet peve of mine when it comes to shows and movies.

harlan
Mar '23

Hard systems satisfy my need for order and rationality. :sunglasses: But that doesn't mean the system needs to be completely explained to the reader from the outset and info about it can de dribbled out over time.

Katzalcoatl
Mar '23

You mentioned middle ground magic systems but didn't add them as a voting option.

river121693
Mar '23
1
CarltonIsaac

Ironically force is closer to a traditional soft system in the og trilogy? Before the whole mitochondria foolishness :B

It’s a spectrum and I never understood the soft hard binary because all magic are completely different, but if I had to pick, I lean toward the softer side because it means I can think about the world more with my own interpretation. Imo, the explanation should go as far as inecessary to tell your story and provide immersion. Too much can bog down your story and kill the “magic “. Too little and ppl are confused

CarltonIsaac
Mar '23
"The secret of the Ancient Order of the Whills, he studied."
―Yoda to Obi-Wan Kenobi on Qui-Gon Jinn[1]
AmazementComicsThe Best Fruit Smoothies
Mar '23

I lean towards to the hard magic, because I, as a reader, always want to understand how the magic works. The more fantastic magics in stories that don't explain anything aren't as interesting to me.

I totally realize that some people don't enjoy the minutia of how a magic system works, and just like that it does. To each their own. I end up writing harder systems though.

powerplantanimations
Mar '23

Whenever I think about questions like that, I always think back to that YOLO: Crystal Fantasy clip. "WHY DID YOU TURN ME INTO A POSSUM?!?" "BECAUSE YOU USED BLACK MAGIC! YOU'RE Clap NOT Clap SUPPOSED Clap TO Clap TOUCH Clap THAT Clap SH*T!".

Soft magic/middle ground all the way. Magic SHOULDN'T be defined for humans.... because it's friggin' MAGIC. It isn't science. When I read a magic story, I wanna read a MAGIC story lol. Mysticism. The unknown and all that. If I want things laid out, I'd read a science story... since that was always meant to be laid out to us.

Don't get me wrong... I'm okay with their being SYSTEMS, but I think magic is at its best when it feels like your handing a shotgun to a monkey. They can learn how to use it, but it's only a matter of time before they blow their head off... because they're not supposed to be TOUCHING that sh*t lmao :v

Speaking of which... Dr. Strange! I hate everything about how Marvel handles magic. The "Magic is just science we don't understand!" statement ruined Phase 4 for me. I know that line was from Thor: The Dark World and I understand a character like Thor saying that, but Phase 4 leans on that a little TOO hard. I rolled my eyes at the mirror dimension scene with Spider-Man: No Way Home. I mean, it's cool and all that Spider-Man outsmarted Strange with math, but... uck. It makes everything feel a little too limited if that makes sense.

So far, the DCEU has been doing magic better.

Hot take... I love how Love & Thunder seemed to retcon this rule. That was the ONLY THING I liked from that movie.

TheLemmaLlama
Mar '23

I like magic systems that are like a science, but NOT in the sense that it's completely defined from the get-go! Science is a process of discovery, you form hypotheses and systems of explaining things that seem to fit ... until they don't.

I want more of these magic systems, where the alleged rules aren't as correct as the characters think they are, but it turns out there's an even more clever and amazing explanation behind that :smiley:

So it eventually turns into a hard magic system :stuck_out_tongue:

Yep, this stuff is great :smiley: Though as a writer I can't really think of the whole system from the get-go myself and would rather build upon it as I go XD (As a reader I also have trouble following complicated details in a non-visual medium, but that's my issue :P)

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